38 Years Later, Still a Long Road for Route 206 Bypass

Project faces more delays as amount of traffic, commerce and population continue to rise.

Editor's note: This is the first of a three-part series on the history of the Route 206 Bypass, the challenges, setbacks and what lies ahead. It only takes a minute to understand why officials have sought for so long to build a bypass around a section of Route 206. In that minute, 43 vehicles would have passed through the Route 206 intersection at Amwell Road, an average of one vehicle every 7.2 seconds. Those figures are based on a traffic count done Jan. 4 to 5 by the state Department of Transportation that determined 59,796 vehicles passed through that intersection in 24 hours. That’s an average of 2,592 vehicles an hour in both directions; peak rush hours generally see more than 4,000 vehicles an hour. An idea since 1974, the Route 206…

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annoyingcat

11:54 am on Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Actually, if you think about, we do have a lot of residences close to the "town center". We live on Steinmetz Rd., easily within walking distance. Have suggested having sidewalks built on the south side of Amwell Rd., to make that trip safer, but they aren't in the budget.........thought we had a "sidewalk fund" that might help make that possible! :) Katie Vatter   more ›

Letter to the Editor: 'Green Village Could Have Been Better'

Vice president of BoroGreen expresses his opinion on the issue.

The following is a Letter to the Editor from Pieter Ruiter, the vice president of BoroGreen on behalf of the group. Vital importance of community involvement may well be the most important outcome of efforts to improve the Green Village proposals that were before Hillsborough's Planning Board at two public hearings in March 2012. The future of Block 141/Lot 30–the proposed Green Village area–really was determined by things that happened some time ago: Many citizens spoke out during the two hearings. Some residents requested pedestrian and bicycle access, not just within Green Village, but connected to the surrounding area. Chairman Sireci negotiated accordingly with the developer to extend the sidewalks to Route 206. Other residents …

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Controversial Green Village Plan Receives Approval

Route 206 project will help Hillsborough meet its affordable housing quota.

Green Village, a 50-plus acre project that will contain 469 apartments, 117 of which would be affordable rental units, a 130-room extended-stay hotel and 20,000 square feet of retail space, was unanimously approved by the Planning Board on Thursday night. The approval of the project, which initially faced opposition by some residents and businesses, will help Hillsborough meet its affordable housing requirement and stave off future development and potential lawsuits, according to Board Chairman Steven Sireci Jr. Sireci said the township has worked to reduce its affordable housing quota from 650 units to 191. If the Green Village plan were rejected, he said, the township's quota would rise to 500 units, meaning developers would be able to …

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Tree Removal a Flood Risk for Green Village Plan

Hearing continues for controversial project in front of Planning Board on Thursday night.

Potential flooding and traffic congestion remain concerns as an amended application for the controversial Green Village project continues Thursday night in front of the Planning Board. The 50-plus acre project proposes a complex that will house 469 apartments, 117 of which would be affordable housing units, a clubhouse with recreational amenities, 20,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room extended-stay hotel. The developer, Antol Hiller, withdrew earlier this month his request for a left-turn lane out of one of the site's exits after concerns were raised regarding the lack of a traffic signal at the intersection. However, area residents remain concerned about the potential traffic issues caused by the development as well as the …

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Letters to the Editor

Green Group Questions Green Village Plan

BoroGreen attends Hillsborough's Planning Board meeting of 3/1/2012.

Quite a few citizens, BoroGreen members among them, attended March 2’s busy Planning Board meeting to hear more about the proposed Green Village development, across from United Rent-All on Rt.206. The plans propose a 469-unit apartment complex, 130-room extended stay hotel, and a 20,000 square foot retail space on a 50-acre plot along the east side of Rt. 206 and would contain 117 affordable housing units. First, the developer's engineering lawyer presented how the plans had been adjusted to conform to various agencies' rules and regulations. The Townships engineer and planner clarified some matters. The public was able to pose questions. Next hearing on this development will be on March 22, 7:30 p.m. in Court Room at the Municipal …

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Wouldntheyliketoknow

9:15 am on Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Meet Your Planning Board Vice-Chair! http://www.prudentialnewjersey.com/steve.cohen   more ›

Take Five

Development: Do You Prefer Retail or Residential?

What would you say if a proposed apartment and hotel complex were all retail space?

Development? It’s a hot topic in Hillsborough. With the Planning Board hearing on the proposed Green Village development continuing March 22, and several storefronts now becoming vacant, Hillsborough Patch has to ask—would residents be more likely to accept the development if it were shops rather than housing? For those who haven’t followed the Planning Board, the Green Village development—which is still undergoing a site plan hearing—is a 469-unit apartment complex, 130-room extended stay hotel, and a 20,000 square foot retail space, proposed for a section of Route 206 that’s across from United Rent-All. 117 of the apartment units would fulfill affordable housing requirements—which means the town has to build those affordable units …

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Left-Turn Exit Removed From Green Village Plan

The site plan proposal will go before the Planning Board again on March 22.

The developer of the proposed Green Village complex on Route 206 scrapped a left-turn exit out of one of the site entrances, to alleviate concerns about the lack of a light at the intersection and also to schedule another site plan hearing before his application expires. Antol Hiller conceded the left-hand turn out of the Route 206 site’s proposed southern exit as the Planning Board attempted to schedule another hearing for his plan. The board requested additional Department of Transportation documents, so that traffic consultant John Jahr would be able to review the options for the southern exit. During the initial project consult, the DOT denied the traffic signal stating that it would cause too many traffic disruptions with the lights …

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Green Village Hearing Continues Tonight

A hearing for a 469-unit apartment complex, extended stay hotel, and retail space continues tonight.

The site plan hearing for 469-unit apartment complex, 130-room extended stay hotel, and a 20,000 square foot retail space on a 50-acre Route 206 lot continues during Thursday's Planning Board meeting. The hearing, which had been postponed since January, met concern from both area neighbors and businesses, over traffic to and from the site. The site is located on Route 206 North between Partridge Road and Valley Road, and one proposed entrance is opposite United Rent-All, according to the site plan. The current plan includes a full-turn access onto Route 206 on the southern part of the plan and a right-turn in, right-turn out at the northern entrance. Of the apartments, 352 would be market-rate apartments and 117 would be affordable housing…

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DOT Traffic Light Criteria Slows Green Village Plan

Department's initial response finds enough breaks in traffic with existing lights.

A traffic light at the entrance of the Green Village Retail and Apartment plan would not be immediately approved by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and would require a traffic study to prove the need for a signal, according the project’s traffic engineer. “The state’s traffic engineering experts determined, through our efforts, that, with the signals...synchronized to the north with Valley Road and Partridge Road and the Kmart driveway to the south, there would be disruptions on a regular occurrence on the Route 206 traffic,” Green Village’s Traffic Engineer, Gary Dean, said at Thursday night's Planning Board meeting. “It would create breaks in traffic or gaps that would allow the projected volumes from this site, at full build…

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spokey

1:17 pm on Saturday, January 7, 2012

This is a pretty big area. It certainly looks to me like they could come out to Valley changing that from a 'T' to a cross intersection. Or/and exit on to Partridge. That way you have TLs but no new ones.   more ›

Green Village Site Plan Hearing Continues Tonight

Apartment complex, extended stay hotel and retail site plan goes before Planning Board again.

A site plan hearing on a proposed 469-unit apartment complex, 130-room extended stay hotel, and a 20,000 square foot retail space on a 50-acre Route 206 lot continues during Thursday's Planning Board meeting—but faces concern over traffic to and from the site. “I’ve been on this corner for 25 years, so I know how the traffic is on this intersection,” Mike Avolio, United Rent-All Owner, said. “I’ve seen I can’t count how many accidents. “I’m not against the project, because I’m a small business owner,” he added. “But I’m worried about the safety issue. It’s (Route 206) not going to have enough room.” The site plan suggests two site entrances, both of which open onto Route 206. One of the entrances would allow drivers to make a right turn …

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